Today was a bike ride like no other. Heading up to the craven arms I caught up the back end and caravan of vehicles associated with the Ilkley HM near addingham, I decided to carefully roll through staying out of the way and thought this wouldn't be a problem as there were no runners in sight at the time. Next thing I know a pair of white vans come screwing past blasting the horns and pull up further on, the lads in them start shouting and carrying on at me for being on the race route, really quite abusive all in all. I'm quickly joined by other cyclists who've had the same treatment trying to do the same as me.
Not wanting to give up I decide to take a detour, the craven arms is calling. I cross the river by the suspension bridge in addingham, walk the bike up the lane and then drag the bike up the descent path used on the beamsley beacon race. I reach the track with the bike tangled in weeds, by pants scratched by thorns and my legs stung by nettles. Quick ride in first up the gravel track and short cut over the high route and drop back down to the low route near Bolton abbey. They let me push it along the event route up to the A59 where I get clear, it's only about a quarter mile.
I called in at the finish on the way back and had a chat to the RO about all this shouting and horn blowing earlier on, it didn't seem to be in the spirit of it all. The van driver came over and joined the conversation too. There were no further harsh words, but I was clear about the fact that carrying on at people on bikes isn't the best way to go.
Until you've had to drag a bike up that shitty little ginnel used on the beamsley beacon race, you can't complain about having to run down it!